ChatGPT is the best all-round AI chatbot, Claude is best for writing and long documents, Gemini for people who live in Google apps, Perplexity for answers with sources, Grok for real-time news and DeepSeek as the best free option.
The shortlist
ChatGPT
The broadest feature set: voice, images, files, agents and a huge plugin catalog.
Claude
Strong prose and careful reasoning over long documents.
Gemini
Built into Gmail, Docs and Android.
Perplexity
Search-first answers with sources on every claim.
Grok
Live X and web search, with paid plans from $8 a month.
DeepSeek
A free chat app on open-weight models.
Questions buyers ask
What is the best AI chatbot right now?
ChatGPT is the best all-round choice. Claude is better for writing and long documents, and Perplexity is better when you need sources.
What is the best free AI chatbot?
ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini all have free plans with daily limits. DeepSeek's chat app is free, though its hosted service stores data in China.
Is ChatGPT or Claude better?
ChatGPT wins on features and integrations; Claude wins on writing quality and long-document analysis. See our ChatGPT vs Claude comparison.
Which AI chatbot is best for current events?
Grok for what is happening on X right now, Perplexity for cited web answers.